If you could choose your gender, would you be female or male?

Dec 12, 2012 12:34 AM

Note: I listed them alphabetically. ;-)

I would choose what I am - a female. Must say limitations remain for my gender. Some overt; many covert. (i.e. equal pay for equal work is still a toss-up.) But, progress has been made. Hard to believe that women did not have the right to vote in the U.S. until 1920.

Still, I almost think it's easier to be a woman than a man. Especially with the change from 'traditional' roles. Wife/mother stays at home; husband/provider works outside the home. I think that evolution may be confusing & conflicting for both sexes.

My late husband used to say he'd like to be a woman, 'cause he loved women so much. A different POV, for sure. ;-)

Top Answers

Thoughts from a male:
I'd rather not suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous female teenage years.

Girls develop/learn faster than males at early developmental stages, boys have simpler (less emotionally tumultuous) teenage years, there are more women entering and graduating college, men are paid more than women in professional fields for the same work, women on average live longer than men. So, my answer is I would switch back and forth during different periods of my life.

I think because most people of one sex would rather be the opposite simply for curiosity. I'm trying to be practical. Men are pretty gross and I'm not sure I would want to date and marry a man. I assume I would still be a heterosexual but female.

I'm curious about being a mother though. That bond of carrying a child for 9 months then birthing a baby and raising said baby must be the most special relationship in the world. Then I'd swap at the last moment (before labor) so I wouldn't have to deal with the pain.

I would choose to be male, although I am not. My friends are mostly male, my role-playing characters are all male. The literary characters that informed my youth were male. I prefer books, movies and TV shows with male leads. My ideation is male and I think I would be more comfortable as a guy. Not that I think being a guy is necessarily better. I just think that body would feel more natural to me than the one I am currently wearing does. I have no attraction toward women, though, so as a guy I wouldn't date a lot. I like Heinlein's fiction, where you can choose your gender as frequently and easily as you choose your clothes. It would be great to be able to switch back and forth as the mood strikes me.

@moondrake: I agree with just about everything that you said and have had similar experiences throughout my life. I also work in a very male dominated field. When I was in college it was not unusual for me to be one of two or three women in my classes (sometimes the only woman). Similarly at work I am often the only woman in a meeting. Most of the time this isn't a problem, but I have had a few issues. On the plus side, there's never a line for the women's restroom.

I think, overall, I relate to men better than I do to women and definitely relate better to boys than I do girls...particularly middle school and younger high school kids.Most of my friends are men and I often have a difficult time hanging out or even just talking with women. Although I think a lot of that is the social circles I move in, particularly at my church, where most women do not work outside the home.

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Thoughts from a male:
I'd rather not suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous female teenage years.

Girls develop/learn faster than males at early developmental stages, boys have simpler (less emotionally tumultuous) teenage years, there are more women entering and graduating college, men are paid more than women in professional fields for the same work, women on average live longer than men. So, my answer is I would switch back and forth during different periods of my life.

I think because most people of one sex would rather be the opposite simply for curiosity. I'm trying to be practical. Men are pretty gross and I'm not sure I would want to date and marry a man. I assume I would still be a heterosexual but female.

I'm curious about being a mother though. That bond of carrying a child for 9 months then birthing a baby and raising said baby must be the most special relationship in the world. Then I'd swap at the last moment (before labor) so I wouldn't have to deal with the pain.

I would choose to be male, although I am not. My friends are mostly male, my role-playing characters are all male. The literary characters that informed my youth were male. I prefer books, movies and TV shows with male leads. My ideation is male and I think I would be more comfortable as a guy. Not that I think being a guy is necessarily better. I just think that body would feel more natural to me than the one I am currently wearing does. I have no attraction toward women, though, so as a guy I wouldn't date a lot. I like Heinlein's fiction, where you can choose your gender as frequently and easily as you choose your clothes. It would be great to be able to switch back and forth as the mood strikes me.

@curtisuxor: Thank you! An interesting & thoughtful answer from a man. Especially - the 'mother' part. Sensitive. Also very amusing re: The mother bond & abandoning that before labor to avoid the pain. :-D

@moondrake: I agree with just about everything that you said and have had similar experiences throughout my life. I also work in a very male dominated field. When I was in college it was not unusual for me to be one of two or three women in my classes (sometimes the only woman). Similarly at work I am often the only woman in a meeting. Most of the time this isn't a problem, but I have had a few issues. On the plus side, there's never a line for the women's restroom.

I think, overall, I relate to men better than I do to women and definitely relate better to boys than I do girls...particularly middle school and younger high school kids.Most of my friends are men and I often have a difficult time hanging out or even just talking with women. Although I think a lot of that is the social circles I move in, particularly at my church, where most women do not work outside the home.

It seems people choose their genders all the time anymore. They either cross dress or have surgery. (I'm amazed at the quality of the surgery these days.) I remember when wanting to be a different gender was considered a mental illness, but today it's just a lifestyle choice. One can argue whether that is progress, but it is what it is.

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